Microsoft worked with Vodafone late last year to deploy Surfaces
to a few dozen stores in several European countries (much as AT&T
has done in the US), and one of those units happens to be set up at the
carrier's IFA booth
this week. The basic idea here is that each available model appears as
a card that can be twirled, resized, and flung around the screen. When
the software first starts, the cards start in a deck from which you can
"deal" onto the table -- but when we first approached it, the Surface
had obviously already been played with because the cards were in
complete disarray. Not too helpful when you're a befuddled buyer trying
to browse models and make a choice from a dizzying selection of
handsets, but that doesn't mean it's not cool -- if nothing else,
parents, it's something to babysit the kiddies for a few minutes while
you go about your business in the store. Follow the break for video of
the Surface in action.
